The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-02-24


the county advertising on bid of one
third of legal rates as against the bid
of the Republican which was to have
the advertising done in the Emporia
Weekly Republican and in the En-
poria Weekly News and in the Emporia
Weekly Democrat and in the EmpoTia
Daily Republican and in the Emporia
Daily News at legal rates for one paper.
While we are not disposed to find fault
with a majority of the commissioners,
yet, IL the value Of the advertising is to
be measured by the circulation given it,
and no one will deny that
this is the true measure of
conceded that the Republican bid was
the best and lowest bid and the one,
above all others, that would have given
the most general satisfaction to the
people of this county. There can be no
mistake in this view of the case. But
we shall not complain, as majority of
the board. being unable TO award the
contract to local papers in their respec-
tive districts, evidently concluded to re-
strict the publication of public matters
under the preteXt that it involved the
least outlay of public money. The
view that the circulation of one republi-
can paper at one-third rates is preferable
10 three papers, two of them republican
and one democratic, at legal rates for
one, conceding all to be of equal circu-
lation and the Daily Republican
thrown in, is, to say the least, 'saving
ut the spigot and wasting at the bung.'
All the people are as much interested
in this matter rs limited number of
them. The aim of the Republican
was to give the whole people the infor-
nation as well as fractional portion.
But the commissioners SAW nothing in
this view of il, and let it out on the
principle that the lowest priced goods
must be the cheapest and best for the
people, as is generally the case when
the people have to be served. The Re
publican, itself, did this printing for
the people Of the county three years
tree of charge, and again, We believe,
offered the lowest and best bid. The
action of the commissioners in this re-
. spect IS the same as putting cottonwood
lumber into Il bridge floor because the
plank can be had at a less price. The
duty of public officer is to render the
best service to the whole people as
nearly as possible for the least money,
not to part of the people for the least
money. In doing so he will come
nearer dischaTging his whole duty under
his oath, than by taking a more narrow
view. To reach the entire people there
could not possibly have been COM
bination of papers in the county equal
to that embraced in the proposition Of
fered Ivy the observation-disclosures
Republican.
While the above argument is UNI
doubtedly good one from the Repub-
LEANS standpoint, yet there is nothing
in the law which demands of the coun-
ty commissioners that they shall give
the county printing to other than a
newspaper having a general sciredla-
ton throughout tire county, aud 1t is
supposedly their duty to get the sam g
done as cheaply as possible, weaean see
no reason why they should have done
other than they did, viz: Give it to
the lowest and best bidder.'N That
THE News is not only paper having
general circulation throughout the
county, but the one that probably has
also the largest general circulation, the
commissioners were we'll aware. That
1T is the best local paper in The county is
attested by its rapidly increasing circu-
lation, in the face of an al
legged opposition paper started
with the ostensible purpose of
driving it ont of existence. That these
assertions are true, can be attested by
the. fact that our street sales, by news
boys alone, are larger than the entire
bona fide circulation of any other pa
per in Lyon county, the Republican
alone excepted
And there are good reasons why this
should be so: TIE NEWS, while Civ
ing to its readers all the legitimate
news-sometimes in condensed form
has made it rule to adhere strictly
to the. truth, even in its boom articles
Nothing unfit TO he read at the family
circleis allowed in its columns. In
politics, while aggressive, it has at
tempted to be truthful and fair. and
has attacked no'one personally except
for the benefit of the community i'll
general. But, when it has taken po-
sition, it has i'm no case so far, under
the present management, been unable
TO make its assertions good. or found
that it had been mistaken.
This was especially so in it's opposi-
ton to the change of text books in our
city schools, when, although unable to
thwart the action already taken, it I'M
doubtedly had the sympathy of the
entire population who were parents of
school children, in it's expose of the
matter. And the arguments then adj
duced are yet liable to bring forth
fruit in action by our state legislature
that will put an end to another such
costly and useless change.
It's thorough ventilation of the water
works jobbery, although it created
some bitter feeling among those imam
cially interested, has redounded to the
benefit of the entire city, as well as the
paper itself.
THE News proposes in the future,
as in the past, to be strictly He'os pa
per, such as our people, one and all,
: may feel it-their duty to take, and, as
the official organ of Lyon county, it
will take fresh start on its road to
prosperity and success,